Happy From Americans Blowing Up Shit All Day and Night Day! Yes, it’s that time when people you wouldn’t trust with the glow stick are going to mix alcohol and fireworks throughout the day with varying degrees of hilarity. Since I have a hospital across the street from where I live, I should hang out front of the ER and see how many people come in with fireworks-related injuries. About twenty years ago I actually knew a guy who blew his thumb off with a M-80. He got it reattached, but still…

My plans for the day are about what they normally are: I’m doing this blog post now, I’ll work in a TV recaps this afternoon, I’ll work on my novel tonight. In between net I’ll eat and get a massage. And maybe catch a nap at some point. But that’s it: my exciting day. Almost all of which will be spent indoors. Because it’s too damn hot to go outside.

You know who else is spending the day indoors? My kids. Well, Kerry will be spending part of it indoors–that part being right now, in the morning, and then later at night. At the moment there still standing in the Atrium of the Great Hall, while the Pavlina and Victor are ready to stroll the Hall of Remembrance.

An action that has Kerry bit concerned–

(The following excerpts from The Foundation Chronicles, Book Three: C For Continuing, copyright 2016, 2017 by Cassidy Frazee)

Both Annie and Kerry stay back for a moment as her parents walked towards the East Hallway. Kerry stepped up alongside his soul mate and spoke in a low voice. “They’re going to find it.”

Annie gave a quick nod. “And if they do, we will deal with the fallout.” Just as her father had done, she reached for Kerry’s hand. “Come along, my love.”

Pavlina and Victor walked slowly down the Hall of Remembrance, stopping every so often to examine a photo or a plaque. Kerry knew these locations had to do with their time in school as Annie had showed him the memorabilia many times. But they didn’t spend much time in these locations: they were moving towards the areas where the important events of the last two years for Cernunnos Coven lay…

Annie’s father walked over and read the inscription below the picture before looking towards his daughter’s boyfriend. “Kerry, you finished fifth overall last year?”

He nodded. “Yes, sir, I did.”

Victor turned to Annie. “You said he did well racing; you didn’t tell us he finished in the top five his first season?”

Annie tilted her head slightly to the right. “I didn’t want to sound as if I were bragging about his accomplishments, Papa.”

“Still, this is—” He nodded in Kerry’s direction. “Congratulations. This is impressive.”

Kerry felt his cheeks warm as he blushed. “Thank you, sir.”

At the moment Kerry is still in the good graces of Victor, who is impressed that his daughter’s boyfriend finish in the top five his first season racing. Like I said before, want to stay on the good side of the future father-in-law, keep pointing out how well you race.

Of course, Kerry’s racing exploits aren’t the only thing on this wall…

“Annie…” Pavlina stood before another picture. “You didn’t mention being in a Judgment Trial, either.”

“I know, Mama.” She gave a quick shrug. “It happened early in our B Levels: it wasn’t on my mind when I came home for Yule.”

“Wait—” Victor stepped over and read the details of the trial. “You fought a boy two years your senior?”

Annie kept her voice neutral. “Yes, Papa.”

“And beat him?”

She nodded towards the picture. “Obviously, Papa.”

Pavlina took a step forward. “Why were you in a judgment trial in the first place?”

Kerry answered before Annie could speak. “Someone said something rather uncomplimentary to her in one of our class and—”

Annie locked eyes with her mother as she decided not to lie about what happened. “A girl accused me, in class, of having intercourse with Kerry. So I called her out.”

Annie is not one to mince words. Where’s Kerry decided to dance around the reason for the callout, Annie went straight to heart of the matter. Kerry still unsure about how open he can be with Pavlina and Victor, so is doing a bit of tap dancing here.

These are Annie’s parents, however, so she knows how to deal with them. In the best way to deal with them is to be honest. Besides, it sounds like her reason for calling someone out is a lot more worthwhile when she mentions they were accusing her of having intercourse with her boyfriend. There isn’t a parent in the world–well, at least not a witchy one–who’s going to cite against their kid when it’s put that way. And that’s exactly what happens here:

Both of Annie’s parents looked at her for several seconds, unsure of what to say. It was Victor who finally expressed what was likely on both their minds. “You did what was necessary, Nini. It’s good that you did not allow yourself to be bullied.”

Pavlina nodded in agreement. “You handled yourself admirably. Particularly if you took on a champion two years older than you—and won.”

Annie knew Kerry was about to say something relating to the judgment trial and she stopped him before he could unnecessarily brag about her achievement. “Thank you,

Victor smiled back. “We always have. You’ve always been our biggest pride and joy, Nini.” With that both parents returned to examining the commemorative plaques and pictures on the hallway walls.

Kerry slid up alongside Annie and spoke in a whisper. “Nini?”

Annie shot a vicious glance in his direction. “We’ll discuss that nickname later.”

Yeah, Kerry, you want to be careful when using Annie’s nickname. She didn’t mind it the year before when you were calling her a little cabbage leaf, but Nini? This seems to be one of those family-given names that the person to whom it was given would rather forget it existed. Or at least, keep that name within the family and not allow it out anywhere else. As much as she says that Kerry is her family, I think this is one part of her life that she’d like to keep away from Kerry.

So, they found the stuff concerning Kerry’s placement during his B Levels racing experience, and Annie’s Judgment Trial. I wonder if there’s anything else in this area that her parents might find?

What Has Gone Before

Check the Past by Date

It’s been a while since I’ve spoken with you. Perhaps speak isn’t the correct way to put things, but it works for me. In a way, I am speaking to you: I’m dictating this with Dragon software. It seems in the past couple of days Dragon has learned my idiosyncrasies far better than before, and […]